• They also agreed as a matter of urgency to develop and implement a framework for the pre-clearance of cargo at the port.
• They also agreed to resolve tax disputes early before they become court cases.
Image: FILE
Three state corporations have started the implementation of a presidential directive for seamless port operations to enhance trade and optimise revenue collection.
In a joint communiqué on Friday, the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) said the move is in line with President William Ruto's directive.
In a meeting held Friday, the board chairs of the three entities agreed to immediately finalise the integration of the Information Technology systems of the three corporations.
They also agreed as a matter of urgency to develop and implement a framework for pre-clearance of cargo at the port and early resolution of tax disputes before they become court cases.
“For existing cases, we agreed to establish a mechanism to resolve the case amicably out of court,” the joint statement said.
The meeting was attended by KPA board chair Benjamin Tayari, his KRA counterpart Anthony Mwaura and Momanyi Nyabonyi of Kebs.
The meeting was a follow-up to a similar one held at the KPA headquarters in Mombasa on September 22, 2023.
In Friday’s meeting, the three board chairs agreed to going forward, speak with one voice by issuing joint statements to ensure information that reaches the public and stakeholders is accurate.
They said they would also continue to hold joint board meetings every quarter.
In four weeks, they said, the three corporations will jointly commence the acquisition of modern scanner technology through Private-Public Initiatives to create efficiency at the ports of entry and exits.
On long-stay cargo, they resolved to come up with a framework and modalities in three weeks on how to deal with cargo that stays at the port for long.
The three corporations also agreed to come up with a framework for the joint requirements for licensing of the container freight stations within two weeks.
They also gave themselves a four-week timeline to develop a framework for expediting clearance of long-stay containers.
This includes extending waivers of customs warehouse rent for owners of long-stay containers.
The three board chairs further agreed to hold joint trainings and needs assessment and plans for the board and management aimed at ensuring cohesion and alignment to the government agenda.